Global healthcare and automotive contract manufacturer GW Plastics Inc. is rapidly growing in its home state of Vermont due to its dedication to workforce development, and was recently inducted into the Vermont Business Hall of Fame, which recognizes previous recipients of the Deane C. Davis Outstanding Business of the Year Award who continue to demonstrate exceptional growth. GW Plastics was honored with the Outstanding Business of the Year Award in 2012.
 
This year, GW Plastics was one of five previous Outstanding Business Award winners to be inducted into the Vermont Business Hall of Fame located at the University of Vermont Grossman School of Business in Burlington. At the ceremony honoring each company, GW Plastics’ name was engraved on the Vermont Business Hall of Fame plaque in Kalkin Hall on the UVM campus.
 
In addition to being inducted into the Business Hall of Fame, this year marked an exciting milestone in GW’s workforce development efforts: the graduation of their second Manufacturing Technology Leadership Program class. The MTLP was founded in 2012 to address the skilled labor shortage, and together in partnership with Vermont Technical College, GW Plastics offers its employees a four-year hands-on educational program focusing on the skills necessary to be successful in advanced manufacturing.
 
While working full time at GWPlastics, MTLP participants enroll in two manufacturing, engineering, or technology classes per year at Vermont Tech, culminating in a final project that is selected based on improvements needed in their areas of responsibility at GW. Graduates of the MTLP earn college credits that can be applied toward an Associate Degree in Engineering Technology. In addition to receiving college courses funded by GW Plastics, every graduate is awarded a bonus after each class and a 10% pay increase upon program graduation.
 
After completing the MTLP, participants can utilize GW Plastics’ tuition reimbursement program to finish their degree at no cost. Through the MTLP program, GW Plastics has now funded nine engineering degrees over the past eight years.
 
“The partnership with Vermont Tech helps our company become more competitive. Investing in our associates increases their skills, brings new ideas, and increases their productivity,” said Brenan Riehl, GW Plastics president and CEO. “A vital part of the program for GW Plastics is the confidence and leadership skills each of our associates gains in the process.”
 
GW Plastics has partnered with Vermont Technical College on many workforce development initiatives, including a GW-funded scholarship and paid summer internship program for engineering students, allowing them the possibility to graduate debt-free. The company also helped to fund the GW Plastics Advanced Manufacturing Lab on campus for continued hands-on manufacturing experience in the classroom.
 
Both the company and college are starting to see the fruits of their labors. This year, GW Plastics hired three engineering students directly upon graduation from Vermont Tech in the areas of quality, mold-making, and operations. One of the new hires, Greg Johnson, was a GW scholarship winner and summer intern, and has now joined his father, 27-year engineering veteran Bill Johnson, as a full-time engineer at GW Plastics. Riehl was asked this year to be the Vermont Technical College keynote commencement speaker, and welcomed the newest GW team members at their graduation. GW now employs over 20 Vermont Tech graduates. One of the finest technology colleges in the country, Vermont Tech consistently places their graduates with leading employers such as GW Plastics year-over-year. During his commencement speech, Riehl enthused the Vermont Tech graduating class as the “ninety niners”, reflecting the fact that last year, Vermont Tech placed 99 percent of their graduates.
 
“The technical labor shortage is starting to hit companies around the country, and recruiting for these types of technical positions is challenging in a rural area such as Vermont,” said Cathy Tempesta, GW Plastics VP of human resources. “To stay ahead of the curve, we needed to create a pipeline of technical talent, and we are thrilled to now be hiring these talented engineers from a college we highly respect.”
 
“We are thrilled with our partnership with GW Plastics,” commented Patricia Moulton, president of Vermont Tech. “GW recognizes the importance of investing in their most important asset: their people. The company is supporting their incumbent workforce with advanced educational opportunities, as well as investing in their future workforce through scholarships and internships. This is a recipe for success for the company, the college, and the Vermont workforce. It is a trend more employers need to embrace. Kudos to the GW Plastics team.”
 
This continued growth and Vermont Hall of Fame induction come on the heels of another major expansion of its Royalton Manufacturing and Technology Center. GW Plastics has broken ground on a 30,000 ftÇ expansion to accommodate the growth of its thermoplastic injection molding and medical device contract assembly business. The company will add another Class 8 cleanroom capable of housing an additional 30 injection molding machines, and expects to add over 30 new jobs and invest over $10,000,000 in construction, new technology, and equipment.